I will try out your lunch recommendation but, alas!, a ripe nectarine or some cherries are MUCH more interesting to me than a bottle of wine even though they don't last as long.

I see I really mashed up the spelling.... Hope we get on the right plane instead of looking for some destination that doesn't even exist! _________________God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

I am an American living in France. You may not believe this, but last week I had brain surgery (olfactory meningioma). Not only did I get to pick the best hospital for neurosurgery in France (and some say Europe), not only did the operation go very well, not only was my surgeon terrific and was the staff available and helpful, but the entire ordeal did not cost me a single centime. I am married to a French man and thus am covered by French social security. The system is highly costly to the government, and heaven knows there is waste, but it is probably the best health system on the continent and available to all citizens. Given my situation, I'm feeling pretty greatful about just about everything right now, but I just want you to know that equitalble, high-quality healthcare is a reality here. Doctors may not get paid as much as back in the states, but at least you can tell they are passionate about their work (otherwise they wouldn't be doing it). It's amazing what a government can do when it does not feel compelled to spend billions of dollars on it's military. Now that I've lived with national health care for seven years, I can't believe we don't have it back home.

The one major drag that isn't anyone's fault is that my tumor disabled my sense of smell, and for a food fanatic, that's a toughie. But my sense of taste is still there and I'm up for cooking as soon as I'm back on my feet!

I feel slightly idiotic writing about this on a food blog, but since you were asking...

You may not believe this, but last week I had brain surgery (olfactory meningioma).

Well, glad to hear you're still in one piece... even if you can't smell anything! On the bright side, you can still compensate with your eyes. Just don't read 'Perfume' by Patrick Suskind!

And you still have your taste, which I am sure is divine dahling! In both senses of the word. And your hearing, so that's music still in with a chance too.

One out of five still leaves you with four. I have to say that my sense of smell isn't wonderful unless the scent is strong enough I usually don't get it. I keep having to remind people that I have a deaf nose._________________Confusion comes fitted as standard.

The fun thing about the wineries around Kelowna is that many have wonderful outdoor Mediterranean style restaurants. One needn't drip a drop to enjoy these places. Mission Hill has one of the most spectacular views imaginable and the restaurant at Quail's Gate is superb so you can enjoy both your cherries AND good restaurants and needn't search for wine at all!

One of my favourite places in Kelowna proved to be the Harvest Golf Course, which, besides having a lovely restaurant had pink lemonade in every second watering spot! and the course is carved out of an old fruit orchard so you could pick apples and stuff as you played through.

But back to the Canadian Medical situation--well we've had 20 months of excellent care and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medications and supplies and it has so far cost us a one time $40 dollar ambulance fee!_________________Vivant Linguae Mortuae!!

Margie- So glad you shared your experience and that it was (within the context of needing to deal with serious illness) a great one for you.

I wonder if you'd enjoy reading this blog: http://mollysmadeleine.blogspot.com/ Molly is a highly intelligent woman and a wonderful writer. A couple years ago she was graduating from Brown and expecting to go on to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA, but you can understand why I typed it all out...) when she had a head injury and lost her sense of smell. She is cooking again and regaining her smell bit by bit. Her experience may be interesting to you.

David- Great recommendations but I'll keep the one about the golf course to myself since we're just up there for a couple days and I'd actually like to see Steve. If you know what I mean.

Thanks again everyone for helping me to understand and relate. It's amazing how many Americans are so convinced they'd lose all their liberties and their actual well being if they didn't have to beg and pay through the nose for their healthcare. Someone, many years ago called it "socialized" medicine and the doors slammed shut..._________________God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

I think i was pointed to it by a reader on this site - (probably by our well-read dear Rainey) - anyone remember? I think it would be great for you, as she had a lot to go through, being so connected to food, as well as many other injuries to heal. it was an amazing, touching journey she documented.

Griffin, I ahve cousins in the UK (one near Banbury, the near other Surrey), and have been lead to believe that the majority of the population subscribes to private insurance these days. Not true?

Most of the population is on the NHS, private medical insurance is still only for the rich and those who have such a long wait and are in so much pain that they will rob the bank to go private. It still remains true here that the NHS is the major player in healthcare and private healthcare is a minority.

On the other hand, anyone who can afford to live in Surrey could probably afford private healthcare! The whole of the South East of Britain has utterly ridiculous house prices.... but that's a whole 'nother thread!_________________Confusion comes fitted as standard.

Thanks, Griffin, very interesting. My cousin probably has a tunneled up-middle class view, and not really the whole of the country. You are right about the real estate - we joke that they live in the tiniest castle in Britain. The price does not reflect the abode, for certain! (Their village is called Esher to give you a more precise locale).

That's it exactly!! It's like buying a cheap pair of shoes and selling them for Manolo Blahnik prices. And yet, when it's done with property nobody seems to say, 'It's not worth the money!!!'

I've seen two up-two down terraced houses being priced at almost a £100,000 when they didn't even cost that much to make. They were always poor man's (and woman's) houses and now a poor man or woman couldn't afford one. These days, the rich buy, the poor rent._________________Confusion comes fitted as standard.

Joined: 29 Sep 2004Posts: 1196Location: buried under a pile of books somewhere in Adelaide, South Australia

Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:31 am Post subject:

the rich buy, the poor rent

Not always, Griffin. We rent because we don't regard real estate as a good investment when compared with investing in shares and in our own businesses. But everyone's different._________________Doing what you like is freedom
Liking what you do is happiness

When I express astonishment or outrage at prices, Rich reminds me that a thing is "worth" exactly what someone is willing to pay for it. (Think of the $$$ paid for some art!)

I'm very glad we bought a house long ago. 2 new homes are now being built on my (short) street-- I can hear the workmen's voices/hammering as I type. They make our place look like one of the lesser cabins at the Bates Motel..

Judy, by "shares", do you mean the stock market? If you can beat real estate with market shares you are very clever!

Joined: 29 Sep 2004Posts: 1196Location: buried under a pile of books somewhere in Adelaide, South Australia

Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 5:35 am Post subject:

Gingerpale, yes, I mean the stockmarket. I won't even pretend at false modesty here, I'm a good stock picker. I've been investing in shares for over 25 years and have learnt a lot from some of the best investors in the world, including the 2nd richest man, Warren Buffett.

It's hard to compare Australian real estate and share investing with the US because US house mortgages are tax deductible (aren't they?) and US shares typically yield low dividends. In Australia, residential investments have an average annual yield of around 5 - 6% and ongoing maintenance costs but with (hopefully) large capital gains. Shares cost nothing to maintain once they're purchased, can yield some pretty high annual returns and, if the right ones are chosen, also have high capital gains._________________Doing what you like is freedom
Liking what you do is happiness

I just saw SiCKO, and would love to hear other people's reaction to it (I think the official release in most places is June 29). I know that Michael Moore is a polemicist but I found it to be extraordinarily sad, and moving. A real call to arms. But the reviews I read, and some of the political blogs, expressed the opinion that something like a nationalized health service will never happen in America, mostly due to the lack of political will.

I'm don't know if C&Z is the place to have this discussion, but how do others in the US feel about their health care options? I'm just curious, because the movie paints a really chilling picture.

nima- In the past I have discussed political issues here and, although I was glad people entered into it with candor, vigor and goodwill, I think it was tough for some others to hear and distressing that it was happening on a non-political blog forum.

Since that time, the forum community is smaller so I'm not messing with it.

I will PM you with my personal opinions if you like. Perhaps others will too. I wish there were a way to have an open (as in available to anyone) discussion in a place where people who wanted to avoid it could just as easily. I know there are specifically political forums elsewhere but this access to "real" intelligent people in an international community is just too delicious to not tap into when America is currently represented in such an arrogant, dysfunctional way by our present government...

Just say if you'd like a private answer._________________God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny. -- Garrison Keillor

I can't imagine any candidate for US President this time will be taken seriously if he/she doesn't have a decent ready-to-implement health plan. When I read what other countries (like Davidland!) have, my jaw drops.